EFFECT OF AMINO ACIDS INFUSION IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH OLIGOHYDRAMNIOS

Abstract

Background: Adequate amniotic fluid is essential for normal fetal growth and fetal well being. Reduced amniotic fluid
index (AFI), also called oligohydramnios, is associated with higher incidence of meconium staining, ceasarean section
due to fetal distress, abnormal fetal heart rate tracing, and result in lesser APGAR score, etc. Maternal nutrition had a
definite role in molecular mechanism that's directly effects on fetus. Thus, under nutrition of various nutrients as amino
acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids play a great role in the development of oligohydramnios and intrauterine
growth restriction. Globally various trails have been done to explore the possibility of increasing the liquor amount and
fetal weight by giving intravenous fluids of variety in the form of dextrose, maltose, amino acids etc. Improved maternal
nutritional status by intravenous amino acid infusion appears to improve the AFI.
Materials and method: It is a prospective longitudinal study. 65 pregnant women of any gravida and parity of different
age, with identified reduced amniotic fluid index (oligohydramnios) by ultrasonography were subjected to amino acids
intravenous infusion daily along with 10% dextrose infusion for 7 days and ultrasound was repeated after 1 week. If
required, they were called back for second round of infusion. Ultrasound was repeated to see whether it has any effect on
AFI or not.
Results: 61.5% improvement in AFI was found in first round of infusion and 69.2% improvement in after second round of
infusion. This finding was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Improvement in maternal nutritional status by intravenous amino acid infusion appears to improve the AFI.
Further study with a bigger sample size, drawing various confounding factors and with robust studies like RCT will be
needed.